Europe Trip - need feedback
 

I Would like some feedback... I am planning a 3 month Europe trip for about $4,000 - not including air.
Here is my plan, leaving in May -- San Francisco to Rome, down to South Italy, Sicily - then ferry to Greece (bad or good to go around the olympics?) -- then (fly?) Budapest(train to), Prague (train through) Germany to Amsterdam.
Questions -
1 - enough money?
2 - alone travel?
3 - cities I must see that I missed, more cities or less cities?
4 - besy route (bang for buck)
5 - thoughts and comments
6 - anyone want to come?

The only thing I want to set in stone is the plane flight to Rome and returning from Amsterdam.
Thanks for your input:)

Wow. A total budget of about 37 euro a day for lodging, food, transportation, admissions, and all extras? I know I couldn't do it even for three or four times that much, but more power to someone who can figure out how.

Ok, so I realize I will spend more money than that, but I am trying to save some for the 2nd leg of the trip in South America...
What is a more realistic amount?

dewdrops,
I love this board, but for a lower budget, more backpack style trip perhaps utilizing hostels, I think you might find Lonely Planet's thorntree site more helpful. Tou'll find lots of info on cheaper routes/countries and rail passes.

Hope that helps!

Given the low value of the dollar versus the euro these days, I don't think you can spend 3 months in Europe for $4,000, even living really, really cheaply. Sorry, but those're the facts, even though you are planning to spend time in countries where living is relatively cheap. I would plan on spending at least $75 a day for all expenses on average, given the value of the dollar.

Do go to Thorntree and Lonely Planet, and you'll get some ideas for ways to get free lodging and cheap meals.

Good luck and happy travels.

You forgot Paris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you could squeak by with 4800 to 5000 euro (notice I did not say dollars). But you'd be sacrificing a bit to do it...and I mean eating lots of bread, being choosy about what sights/museums to pay for, and bunking in with lots of new "friends" in hostels.

And you've got potential bump in that you are going in the summer. Any poor planning and showing up in town without cheap accommodation planned can blow a few days budget. Lots of people do budget travel in the summer.

Go to eurotrip.com and check out the discussion boards. Lots of good advice there. Make notes of good hostels and use the internet to make reservations where you can.

So to answer your questions...

1. No...I do agree with the others. 4000 is not enough right now. Take it from someone who has done it. 2000 a month is a fair budget, so that puts you at 6000...and I'm talking euro here, not dollars. Take it from someone who did it. I could have done my 4 months there for about 7K on a barebones budget....but I spent about 10K. And that's only because I ate my way through europe and paid for other people's meals here and there. (And I had to buy a few bits of clothing when I extended my trip 2 months and needed warm weather gear). And this is back when the dollar was still pretty equal to the euro.

2. Alone travel? What are you asking here? Is it OK to travel alone? I say sure. But a travel buddy can really help to offset costs.

3. Depends on what you are interested in. For financial sake, I recommend you stick with countries that aren't on the euro and are decent value against the dollar. I loved the Czech Rep. and Croatia, and wish I had gotten to Poland. Go to countries like Germany and cities like Paris, and that money will go very very quickly. In the CR, I spent 8 dollars a night for a bed in some great hostels...and met people I am still friends with (and one that I am still romantically involved with!) Try to find "homey" hostels...you have the best chance of meeting good buddies there.

I'd like to help a bit more if I could...but it would help me if you could tell me more on your expectations and travel plans. You did not say you were going to backpack it...is that even your intention?

Sorry, didn't mean to repeat the "take it from someone who did it" line.

But since I'm adding another post...take it from someone who did it. :)

A budget of 50 Euros per day + various transportation expenses is possible, although spartan. Hostels are perfectly fine, particularly if you research extensively in advance.

Look at it this way. If you were in the US, how much would it cost you to live at a bare minimum level of existence? Europe will certainly be more expensive, and besides, expect that you will want to spend money on attractions, clubs, theatre, and what have you. There's no point in trying to set records for cheapness (although I do enjoy doing that too.)

I would write out all expenses you will reasonably entail, in exhaustive detail, and then add 25% or so.

Going around the Olympics in Greece = a bad idea from the prices I have seen.

Check out these sites and their forums:

http://www.eurotrip.com
http://www.guideforeurope.com
http://www.bugeurope.com

You have enough money for a nice trip, but I would suggest scaling your plans down a bit both in geography and time.